Chulevi Monastery

Chulevi Monastery, also known Chule, Chulebi or Tchule Monastery, is a Georgian Orthodox monastic church from the 14th century, located near the little village of Patara Zanavi, about 4 km north of the city of Abigeni. Abigeni lies some 20 km west of the city of Akhaltsikhe.

The name "Chulevi" derives from the ancient Georgian word "Churi", which meant “hidden place”. That describes Chulevi Monastery quite well, as the ancient church is hidden in the woods behind the village of Patara Zanavi. The Georgian word “patara” means “small”.

According to medieval sources Chulevi Monastery must have been a lively monastic community as early as the 11th century, however what remains of the current monastic complex, namely the church, was built during the 14th century and was a major religious and cultural centre in South Georgia for almost two hundred years.  

Chulevi Monastery Church is similar in shape and size to the nearby churches of Zarzma and Sapara, featuring the typical cross-shaped floor plan and a dome tholobate containing twelve windows, six of them real and six false.

Inside the church, an inscription in the medieval Georgian Asomtavruli script reveals the name of the artist Arsen, who painted the church fresco in 1381.

Restored parts of the fresco can still be seen today, depicting, among others things, a group portrait of the famous, royal Jaqueli family, who for many centuries were patrons of the monastery.

When the Ottomans conquered the Samtshke region during the 16th century, Chulevi Monastery, like most other local churches and monasteries, was abandoned and left to decay. Still the local population succeeded in saving the bells and some other church items by burying them deep in the surrounding woods.

During the area of Russian rule over Georgia, architects made some unsuccessful attempts at restoring the Chulevi Monastery complex, first in the 1930s and then again in the 1970s and 1980s. Several constructional details were lost the process and most of the original buildings of the complex have completely disappeared.

The bells of Chulevi Monastery Church were accidentally rediscovered in the 1980s during farm work in the local woods. The bells were first donated to the Akhaltsikhe Museum, but were eventually given back to the church some years after the fall of the Soviet Union in October 1999, when monastic life was restored at Chulevi Monastery.

Finally in 2003 systematic reconstruction works were launched and the remnants of Chulevi Monastery have largely been repaired since then, including the erection of dwellings for the monks and a monumental stone cross at the entrance gate.

How to get there:
Chulevi Monastery is located near the little village Patara Zanavi, about 4km north of the city of Adigeni. Abigeni lies some 30km west of the city of Akhaltsikhe on the main road ს 8 (S 8) between the cities of Batumi and Akhaltsikhe. Taxi drive from Adigeni takes app. 15 minutes (5 GEL), from Akhaltsikhe app. 45 minutes (20-25 GEL).

Distances from major cities:
Akhaltsikhke - Patara Zanavi: 34km | Adigeni - Patara Zanavi: 4km

Opening hours:
Chulevi Monastery can be visited at any time during the week and on weekends.

Admission fee:
There is no admission fee.

Picture credits: SJDC

Project “Increased regional added value in the tourism sectors of Georgia by Digital Heritage Tourism Guides” was funded by the Austrian Development Agency (ADA) with funds of Austrian Development Cooperation.